Semiconductor image sensor device having back side illuminated image sensors with embedded color filters

1. A device comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side; an interconnect structure disposed over the first side of the substrate; a first pixel disposed in the substrate, the first pixel extending from the first side of the substrate; a second pixel and a third pixel disposed in the substrate; a radiation-blocking structure disposed over the second side of the substrate; a passivation layer disposed on the radiation-blocking structure; a color filter disposed on the passivation layer; and a shallow trench isolation structure disposed within the substrate, and wherein the passivation layer extends to the shallow trench isolation structure disposed within the substrate, wherein the first pixel is spaced apart from the second pixel and the third pixel, wherein the second pixel is spaced apart from the third pixel, wherein the radiation-blocking structure includes a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion, wherein the first pixel is disposed within the substrate between the first and second portions of the radiation-blocking structure, wherein the second pixel is disposed within the substrate between the second and third portions of the radiation-blocking structure, and wherein the third pixel is disposed within the substrate between the third and fourth portions of the radiation-blocking structure.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the radiation-blocking structure is formed of a metal material.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color filter includes a first segment disposed over the first pixel, and second segment disposed over the second pixel and a third segment disposed over the third pixel, wherein the first segment of the color filter allows a first color of light to pass through the first segment while filtering out a second color of light and a third color of light, wherein the second segment of the color filter allows the second color of light to pass through the second segment while filtering out the first color of light and the third color of light, wherein the third segment of the color filter allows the third color of light to pass through the third segment while filtering out the first color of light and the second color of light, and wherein the first, second and third colors of light are different from each other.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: a high-k dielectric material layer disposed directly on the second side of the substrate; and a dielectric material layer disposed directly on the high-k dielectric material layer, the dielectric material layer being formed of a different material than the high-k dielectric material layer.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the passivation layer and the radiation-blocking structure both physically contact the dielectric material layer.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer physically contacts the shallow trench isolation structure.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride.

8. A device comprising: a substrate having a front side and a back side that is opposite the front side; an interconnect structure disposed over the front side of the substrate; a pixel disposed in the substrate; a light-reflective structure disposed over the back side of the substrate; a color filter disposed over the back side of the substrate; a passivation layer disposed over the back side of the substrate; a conductive pad disposed on a portion of the interconnect structure such that the conductive pad physically contacts the portion of the interconnect structure, wherein the passivation layer extends continuously from over the back side of the substrate to the conductive pad; and a reference pixel disposed in the substrate, wherein a portion of the light-reflective structure is disposed directly over the reference pixel thereby preventing light from reaching the reference pixel.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the light-reflective structure includes a first portion spaced apart from a second portion, wherein the passivation layer extends continuously from the first portion to the second portion of the light-reflective structure, and wherein the color filter is disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the light-reflective structure.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate.

11. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a shallow trench isolation structure disposed within the substrate, and wherein the shallow trench isolation structure interfaces with the conductive pad.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the passivation layer further extends to the shallow trench isolation structure.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the light-reflective structure has a top surface facing away from the substrate, and wherein the passivation layer is disposed directly on the top surface of the light-reflective structure.

14. A device comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side; an interconnect structure disposed over the first side of the substrate; a first pixel disposed in the substrate and extending from the first side of the substrate toward the second side, wherein a portion of the substrate is disposed between the first pixel and the second side of the substrate; a radiation-blocking structure disposed over the second side of the substrate, wherein the radiation-blocking structure includes a first portion and a second portion and wherein the pixel is disposed within the substrate between the first and second portions of the radiation-blocking structure; a shallow trench isolation structure disposed within the substrate; and a passivation layer disposed over the second side of the substrate and extending from the radiation-blocking structure to the shallow trench isolation structure, wherein the passivation layer physically contacts the shallow trench isolation structure.

15. The device of claim 14 , further comprising a second pixel disposed in the substrate, and wherein the radiation-blocking structure further includes a third portion, and wherein the second pixel is disposed within the substrate between the second and third portions of the radiation-blocking structure.

16. The device of claim 15 , further comprising a first color filter segment disposed directly over the first pixel and a second color filter segment disposed directly over the second pixel, wherein the first color filter segment allows a first color of light to pass through the first color filter segment while filtering out a second color of light, wherein the second color filter segment allows the second color of light to pass through the second color filter segment while filtering out the first color of light.

17. The device of claim 14 , further comprising a conductive pad disposed on a portion of the interconnect structure, and wherein the passivation layer further extends to the conductive pad.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the passivation layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride.

19. The device of claim 14 , further comprising a color filter disposed over the second side of the substrate, and wherein the radiation-blocking structure defines a recess, and wherein a portion of the passivation layer and a portion of the color filter are disposed within the recess.

20. The device of claim 14 , further comprising a reference pixel disposed in the substrate, wherein a third portion of the radiation-blocking structure is disposed directly over the reference pixel thereby preventing light from reaching the reference pixel.